BMC fire brigade to conduct probe into Mantralaya

Mumbai: The fire brigade of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would conduct a separate inquiry into the devastating fire at Mantralaya, civic commissioner Sitaram Kunte said on Monday.

"The fire brigade will conduct an inquiry into the fire at Mantralaya, which engulfed four top floors of the secretariat," Kunte said.

The Crime Branch of the Mumbai police is also probing the incident, but the fire brigade would probe how the fire broke out and how it spread, he added.

Kunte was talking to reporters after holding a meeting of disaster management cell at the civic body`s headquarters.

He also said that as many as 76 agencies like the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), BMC and the Mumbai Police, reviewed the situation of the fire-ravaged Mantralaya building.
When asked about the 9,500 non-functional water hydrants, out of the total 10,200 in Mumbai, Kunte said these hydrants would be made operational soon.

"Boards denoting the fire-resistant buildings should be put up at all the BMC establishments like hospitals, schools, offices, etc," he said.
PTI